Muaz,
Doctor / Student

Muaz is a doctor in his native Pakistan, however qualifications from Pakistan are not recognised in Australia so he has restarted his path here.

When are you happiest?

I think the happy moments are, cause I’ve stayed away from my family, so when I’m back in my country living with my family and we’re all together, that’s the moment, happy moments.

What are you passionate about?

I’m passionate about my career, I studied medicine so yeah. I want to be a successful doctor.

What is something significant you have achieved?

Being a doctor. That’s what my parents wanted me to be. Although I was not into it when I joined med school. For the first three years I used to tell my parents, “ok I’m not doing it, I’m not continuing it”, but still they kept motivating me. When I became a doctor I started working in a hospital. That was the time I felt very proud because people used to come to me and get their treatment.

The best moment was when a sick person came to you and he got relieved for all the pains and all the diseases, and that was the best part of being a doctor.

As a qualified doctor in Pakistan, what was it like having to start over in Australia?

After working as a doctor in Pakistan, again being a student in another country was not an easy thing, which I realized when I came to Australia. I faced some problems but no matter what I stayed in contact with parents and family who kept motivating me to achieve the real goals for which I moved to Australia.

Who is your role model?

My role model is my father. I’ve always seen him, and heard of what he does from his friends and from other people. I’ve followed him at every step. Whenever I felt like asking for help in any matter, I always call my dad.

My father runs a business and has a small number of employees working for him who were working day and night to feed their kids. One thing that he always insisted on was to be helpful to all the people around you, that’s the secret of living a good life. Never harm anyone and you won’t be harmed.

I studied in a boarding school since I was 8. My parents used to visit me on weekly basis. They never asked me to score extra ordinary marks in studies, instead they always taught me to be good and have a good character and values.

What’s something that has changed your life?

When I came to Australia, because back in Pakistan I never had to worry about any basic necessities of life. I never had to pay rent, never had worried about food or anything like that. When I came to Australia I had to do everything on my own. That was the point I think that has brought this thing in me, to survive I have to do everything for my own self. It changed me in a positive way.

What was the biggest challenge in arriving in Australia by yourself?

Coming to Australia changed my life. I had to be a student again, live totally independent of my family, had to work and focus on my career all at the same time, in a totally different environment among new people with different cultural and religious backgrounds. But it wasn’t as scary as it seemed, people here were always nice and helping at every step that made my arrival and settling down easier.

What’s your best advice to give to other people?

Be good to others, do whatever you want but try not to hurt any other person. If it becomes your habit or if you feel good after hurting others, that’s not a good thing. What goes around comes around of course.

What role do your beliefs play in your life?

Being a Muslim I think I’m not a perfect follower of Islam I would say. My Islamic beliefs, when I’m following those I have a peace, peace of mind that this is the right thing I’m doing. These beliefs will never hurt any other person and will always be beneficial to me. It’s teachings that I was given in my country by my parents or other teachers, and they were all Islamic teachings that have helped me be a good person.

Is there anything else you would like to say?

I would like to tell all the people out there that Islam is a very friendly and loving religion. All the things that happen in the world, maybe people are using Islam, the name of the religion for all the wrong things they are doing. But if you study Islam it’s totally opposite to that. Islam never asks or even preaches hurting any other person or even animals. So how can they hurt people or damage properties? That is not Islam.